PROJECTS >> Home-based Care  | ACTS/Lay Counselling  | ECD Health  | Children's Circle of Support  | Parenting Worx  | Grade R  | Monitoring & Evaluation 

Children's Circle of Support

The Children’s Circle of Support programme addresses the issues of child-headed households, child neglect, poverty-related barriers to education and the lack of after-school stimulation for children living in impoverished communities in the Overstrand. Social carers identify children who fit into these categories, who are then brought into the children’s circle of support programme. Child-headed households require particular attention, and they are often referred to places of care so that the younger children especially can receive the care and support that they need. In the cases of more stable child-headed households, the Hermanus Rainbow Trust provides them with living necessities such as food, clothing and school fees.

Children that come from poor adult-headed households are also included in the programme. During the week they are given breakfast, lunch and a lunch-box for school, which are distributed from the Trust’s four community centres. School fees, crèche fees and uniforms are also made available to those children most in need. There are currently 445 children who are fed from Hermanus Rainbow Trust’s centres, most of whom come from Zwelihle. The Zwelihle centre is staffed by two cooks and the three remaining centres are staffed by one cook each. As these centres also form the bases of operation for the community care programme, social carers interact with the children when they come to receive their meals. The carers use these opportunities to identify children who require further attention and intervention, and they work with these children to try to overcome any issues or difficulties that they may be experiencing. Children are referred to social workers from other organisations in cases of suspected abuse or neglect or in the case of more severe emotional or psychological difficulties.

There is a significant lack of after-school facilities available for children within impoverished communities. Many children who come from troubled family environments or who have working parents, are left to look after themselves after school. This can result in children becoming understimulated and bored, and this can often lead to involvement with gangs, crime and drugs. The Hermanus Rainbow Trust has developed a programme that provides activities and supervision for children who do not receive these at home. Activities include soccer, cricket, netball, dancing, singing painting, drawing and play therapy. These activities are supervised by volunteers and staff from other community organisations and sports clubs. Children participating in after-school activities have formed sports teams dance groups and choirs, which have played against other teams and performed for audiences. Most children who receive meals from the Hermanus Rainbow Trust also participate in the after-school activities programme.